155 research outputs found
A jump-growth model for predator-prey dynamics: derivation and application to marine ecosystems
This paper investigates the dynamics of biomass in a marine ecosystem. A
stochastic process is defined in which organisms undergo jumps in body size as
they catch and eat smaller organisms. Using a systematic expansion of the
master equation, we derive a deterministic equation for the macroscopic
dynamics, which we call the deterministic jump-growth equation, and a linear
Fokker-Planck equation for the stochastic fluctuations. The McKendrick--von
Foerster equation, used in previous studies, is shown to be a first-order
approximation, appropriate in equilibrium systems where predators are much
larger than their prey. The model has a power-law steady state consistent with
the approximate constancy of mass density in logarithmic intervals of body mass
often observed in marine ecosystems. The behaviours of the stochastic process,
the deterministic jump-growth equation and the McKendrick--von Foerster
equation are compared using numerical methods. The numerical analysis shows two
classes of attractors: steady states and travelling waves.Comment: 27 pages, 4 figures. Final version as published. Only minor change
The Relationship between Physical Growth and Infant Behavioral Development in Rural Guatemala
The present study investigated the relationship between a number of anthropometric indices and behavioral development during the first 2 years of life in rural Guatemala. Length and weight were the indices most strongly correlated with behavioral development. If the effect of the infant\u27s length and weight was statistically controlled for, none of the other anthropometric variables explained a significant proportion of the variance in behavioral development. Con- trolling for length (or weight) assessed at the same age as the behavioral assessment, length (or weight) for younger ages was not significantly correlated with behavioral development. Changes in length or weight over time were correlated with changes in behavioral performance. We were unable to explain the association between physical growth and behavioral development by a number of variables including gestational age, nutrient intake, prevalence of disease, and familial characteristics
Sheldon Spectrum and the Plankton Paradox: Two Sides of the Same Coin : A trait-based plankton size-spectrum model
The Sheldon spectrum describes a remarkable regularity in aquatic ecosystems: the biomass density as a function of logarithmic body mass is approximately constant over many orders of magnitude. While size-spectrum models have explained this phenomenon for assemblages of multicellular organisms, this paper introduces a species-resolved size-spectrum model to explain the phenomenon in unicellular plankton. A Sheldon spectrum spanning the cell-size range of unicellular plankton necessarily consists of a large number of coexisting species covering a wide range of characteristic sizes. The coexistence of many phytoplankton species feeding on a small number of resources is known as the Paradox of the Plankton. Our model resolves the paradox by showing that coexistence is facilitated by the allometric scaling of four physiological rates. Two of the allometries have empirical support, the remaining two emerge from predator-prey interactions exactly when the abundances follow a Sheldon spectrum. Our plankton model is a scale-invariant trait-based size-spectrum model: it describes the abundance of phyto- and zooplankton cells as a function of both size and species trait (the maximal size before cell division). It incorporates growth due to resource consumption and predation on smaller cells, death due to predation, and a flexible cell division process. We give analytic solutions at steady state for both the within-species size distributions and the relative abundances across species
Theoretical and experimental activities on opacities for a good interpretation of seismic stellar probes
Opacity calculations are basic ingredients of stellar modelling. They play a
crucial role in the interpretation of acoustic modes detected by SoHO, COROT
and KEPLER. In this review we present our activities on both theoretical and
experimental sides. We show new calculations of opacity spectra and comparisons
between eight groups who produce opacity spectra calculations in the domain
where experiments are scheduled. Real differences are noticed with real
astrophysical consequences when one extends helioseismology to cluster studies
of different compositions. Two cases are considered presently: (1) the solar
radiative zone and (2) the beta Cephei envelops. We describe how our
experiments are performed and new preliminary results on nickel obtained in the
campaign 2010 at LULI 2000 at Polytechnique.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, invited talk at SOHO2
Ecohydrological Responses to Diversion of Groundwater: Case Study of a Deep-Rock Repository for Spent Nuclear Fuel in Sweden
Effect of mariculture on sediment grain size and its potential environmental significance in Sishili Bay, Yellow Sea, China
Predators in the market: implications of market interaction on optimal resource management
Sardine and anchovy regime fluctuations of abundance in four regions of the world oceans: a workshop report
Amplification of environmental fluctuations by marine ecosystems
Environmental variability is an important cause of fluctuations in marine ecosystems. Some ecosystems appear to have characteristic resonant frequencies, and even a weak environmental signal at one of these frequencies can cause large changes in population sizes. It is already known that some commercial fish stocks undergo abundance cycles which can be explained in this way, since models of their population dynamics exhibit resonances at or near the appropriate frequencies. In this paper it is shown that resonance found in Lotka-Volterra models of predator-prey systems appears to be a likely cause of many of the fluctuations found in marine ecosystems
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